February 3
Events *1112 - marriage of Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence, uniting the fortunes of those two states *1377 - more than 2,000 people of the Italian city of Cesena are slaughtered by Papal Troops (Cesena Bloodbath). *1451 - Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire. *1488 - Bartolomeu Dias of Portugal lands in Mossel Bay after rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa, becoming the first known European to travel this far south. *1509 - The Battle of Diu, between Portugal and the Ottoman Empire takes place in Diu, India. *1690 - The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in America. *1706 - Swedish forces defeats a superior Saxon-Russian force by deploying a text book example of a double envelopment during the Battle of Fraustadt. *1783 - American Revolutionary War: Spain recognizes United States independence. *1787 - Shays' Rebellion is crushed, ending an uprising that would prompt negotiations that would result in the drafting of the Constitution of the United States. *1807 - A British military force, under Brig-Gen. Sir Samuel Auchmuty captures the city of Montevideo, then part of the Spanish Empire now capital of Uruguay, following a siege. *1809 - Illinois Territory is created. *1815 - The first commercial cheese factory is founded (Switzerland). *1830 - The sovereignty of Greece was confirmed in a London Protocol. *1834 - The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina establishes the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute, today known as Wake Forest University. *1867 - Prince Mutshito becomes Emperor Meiji of Japan. *1870 - The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ratified, grants voting rights regardless of race. *1900 - Gubernatorial candidate William Goebel is assassinated in Frankfort. Former Secretary of State Caleb Powers was later found guilty in a conspiracy to kill Goebel. *1913 - The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect a graduated income tax. *1916 - Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Canada burn down. *1917 - World War I: The United States breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany a day after Germany announces a new policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. *1918 - The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at 11,920 feet (3,633 meters) long). *1923 - Alpha Zeta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia founded at Pennsylvania State University. *1930 - The Communist Party of Vietnam was born. *1931 - The Napier earthquake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster, kills 258. *1941 - World War II: The Nazis forcibly restore Pierre Laval to office in occupied Vichy, France. *1944 - World War II: United States troops capture the Marshall Islands. *1945 - World War II: Soviet Union agrees to enter the Pacific Theatre conflict against Japan. * 1945 - World War II: As part of Operation Thunderclap, 1,000 B-17's of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin. *1947 - Percival Prattis becomes the first African American news correspondent allowed in the United States House and Senate press gallery. * 1947 - Coldest ever temperature recorded in North America at Snag, -63 degrees Celsius (-81.4 Fahrenheit) *1952 - The earliest known tropical storm makes landfall in South Florida. *1957 - Senegalese political party Democratic Rally merges into the Senegalese Party of Socialist Action (PSAS). *1959 - The Day The Music Died: A plane crash kills rock-and-roll performers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. *1966 - The unmanned Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft makes the first controlled rocket-assisted landing on the Moon. *1967 - Ronald Ryan, the last person to be executed in Australia, is hanged in Pentridge Prison, Melbourne. *1969 - In Cairo, Yasser Arafat is appointed Palestine Liberation Organization leader at the Palestinian National Congress. *1974 - Science fiction author Philip K. Dick reportedly has a gnostic religious experience or theophany, later recounted in his books Valis (1981) and Radio Free Albemuth (1985). *1984 - Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission - Astronauts, Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make first untethered spacewalks using the Manned Maneuvering Unit. *1988 - Iran-Contra Affair: The United States House of Representatives rejects President Ronald Reagan's request for $36.25 million to aid Nicaraguan Contras. *1989 - After a stroke, P.W. Botha resigns party leadership and the presidency of South Africa. * 1989 - A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954. *1991 - In Italy, the Italian Communist Party is dissolved, and split into the Democratic Party of the Left and the Communist Refoundation Party. *1997 - Sixth general elections held in Pakistan under 1973 constitution. *1998 - Karla Faye Tucker is executed in Texas becoming the first woman executed in the United States since 1984. * 1998 - Cavalese cable-car disaster: a United States Military pilot causes the death of 20 people when his low-flying plane cuts the cable of a cable-car near Trento, Italy. *1999 - In Jammu and Kashmir the political party Democratic Janata Dal is revived. *2004 - Jóannes Eidesgaard becomes Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands. *2007 - The Baghdad market bombing kills at least 135 people and injures a further 339. Births *1338 - Jeanne de Bourbon, wife of Charles V of France (d. 1378) *1677 - Jan Santini Aichel, Czech architect (d. 1723) *1690 - Richard Rawlinson, English minister (d. 1755) *1721 - Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian general (d. 1773) *1747 - Samuel Osgood, American patriot (d. 1813) *1754 - George Crabbe, English naturalist (d. 1832) *1795 - Antonio José de Sucre, South American independence leader (d. 1830) *1807 - Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate general (d. 1891) *1808 - Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar, Princess of Prussia (d. 1877) *1809 - Felix Mendelssohn, German composer (d. 1847) *1811 - Horace Greeley, American journalist, editor, and publisher (d. 1872) *1817 - Achille Ernest Oscar Joseph Delesse, French geologist (d. 1881) *1821 - Elizabeth Blackwell, American physician (d. 1910) *1830 - Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1903) *1842 - Sidney Lanier, American writer (d. 1881) *1843 - William Cornelius Van Horne, American-born railway pioneer and executive (d. 1915) *1859 - Hugo Junkers, German aircraft designer (d. 1935) *1862 - James Clark McReynolds, American Supreme Court Justice (d. 1946) *1872 - Lou Criger, American baseball player (d. 1934) *1874 - Gertrude Stein, American writer (d. 1946) *1887 - Juan Negrín, Spanish Prime Minister (d. 1956) * 1887 - Georg Trakl, Austrian poet (d. 1914) *1893 - Gaston Julia, French mathematician (d. 1978) *1894 - Norman Rockwell, American illustrator (d. 1978) *1898 - Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect (d. 1976) *1899 - Lao She, Chinese writer (d. 1966) * 1899 - João Café Filho, Brazilian president (m.1970) * 1899 - Doris Speed, English actress (d.1994) *1904 - Luigi Dallapiccola, Italian composer (d. 1975) * 1904 - Pretty Boy Floyd, American gangster (d. 1934) *1905 - Arne Beurling, American mathematician(d. 1986) *1907 - James Michener, American author (d. 1997) *1909 - Simone Weil, French philosopher (d. 1943) * 1909 - André Cayatte, French filmmaker (d. 1989) *1911 - Robert Earl Jones, American actor (d. 2006) * 1911 - Jehan Alain, French organist and composer (d. 1940) *1912 - Jacques Soustelle, French anthropologist (d. 1990) *1913 - Richard Seaman, British racing driver (d. 1939) *1918 - Joey Bishop, American entertainer, member of the Rat Pack (d. 2007) * 1918 - Helen Stephens, American runner *1920 - Henry Heimlich, American physician * 1920 - Tony Gaze, Australian racing driver *1923 - Alys Robi, Quebec singer *1924 - Martial Asselin, French Canadian politician and lieutenant governor of Quebec *1925 - John Fiedler, American voice actor (d. 2005) * 1925 - Keith Dunstan, Australian author and journalist * 1925 - Leon Schlumpf, member of the Swiss Federal Council *1926 - Shelley Berman, American comedian * 1926 - Hans-Jochen Vogel, German politician *1927 - Val Doonican, Irish singer and entertainer * 1927 - Joan Lowery Nixon, American writer (d. 2003) * 1927 - Kenneth Anger, American Underground Filmmaker *1930 - Gillian Ayres, English painter *1932 - Peggy Ann Garner, American actress (d. 1984) *1933 - Paul Sarbanes, American politician *1938 - Victor Buono, American actor (d. 1982) * 1938 - Emile Griffith, US Virgin Islands professional boxer *1939 - Michael Cimino, American film director *1940 - Fran Tarkenton, American football player *1941 - Neil Bogart, American record executive (d. 1982) *1943 - Blythe Danner, American actress * 1943 - Dennis Edwards, American singer (The Temptations) * 1943 - Shawn Phillips, American singer, guitarist and songwriter *1944 - Trisha Noble, Australian singer and actress *1945 - Bob Griese, American football player * 1945 - Johnny Cymbal, American singer and songwriter (d. 1993) *1947 - Paul Auster, American novelist * 1947 - Dave Davies, British musician (The Kinks) * 1947 - Melanie Safka, American singer-songwriter *1948 - Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, East Timor politician, Nobel Peace laureate * 1948 - Henning Mankell, Swedish author *1949 - Hennie Kuiper, Dutch cyclist *1950 - Morgan Fairchild, American actress *1951 - Eugenijus Riabovas, Lithuanian football manager *1952 - Fred Lynn, American baseball player *1954 - Tiger Williams, Canadian ice hockey players *1955 - Stephen Euin Cobb, American novelist * 1955 - Kirsty Wark, British broadcast journalist *1956 - Nathan Lane, American actor * 1956 - John Jefferson, American football player * 1956 - Lee Ranaldo, American musician (Sonic Youth) *1957 - Chico Serra, Brazilian racing driver * 1957 - Steven Stapleton, British musician (Nurse With Wound) *1958 - N. Gregory Mankiw, American economist *1959 - Thomas Calabro, American actor * 1959 - Laurence Tolhurst, British musician (The Cure) * 1959 - Yasuharu Konishi, Japanese musician (Pizzicato Five) *1960 - Kerry Von Erich, American wrestler (d. 1993) *1961 - Keith Gordon, American actor * 1961 - Jay Adams, American skateboarder *1962 - Michele Greene, American actress *1965 - Maura Tierney, American actress * 1965 - Karlous Marx Shinohamba, Namibian politician *1967 - Bob Taylor, English footballer *1968 - Vlade Divac, Serbian professional basketball player *1969 - Retief Goosen, professional golfer *1970 - Warwick Davis, British actor * 1970 - Oscar Cordoba, Colombian footballer *1971 - Elisa Donovan, American actress * 1971 - Sarah Kane, English playwright (d. 1999) * 1971 - Hong Seok-cheon, South Korean actor *1972 - Mart Poom, Estonian football player *1973 - Ilana Sod, Mexican journalist *1974 - Miriam Yeung, Hong Kong actress * 1974 - Konrad Gałka, Polish swimmer *1976 - Mathieu Dandenault, Canadian hockey player * 1976 - Isla Fisher, Australian actress * 1976 - Dwayne Rudd, American football player *1977 - Daddy Yankee , nominated reggaeton singer/rapper. *1978 - Adrian R'Mante, American actor * 1978 - Eliza Schneider, American actress and singer *1980 - Sarah Lewitinn, American writer *1981 - Maurice Ross, English footballer *1982 - Jessica Harp, American singer (The Wreckers) * 1982 - Alan Gurr, Australian V8 Supercar driver *1983 - Hillary Scott, American pornographic actress * 1983 - Silambarasan Rajendar,famous south Indian actor *1989 - Ryne Sanborn, American actor *1989 - Slobodan Rajković , Serbian footballer *1990 - Sean Kingston, American reggae rapper *1991 - Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, British racing driver Deaths * 619 - Laurence of Canterbury, 2nd Archbishop of Canterbury * 699 - Saint Werburgh *1014 - King Sweyn I of Denmark *1116 - King Coloman of Hungary (b. 1070) *1399 - John of Gaunt (b. 1340) *1428 - Ashikaga Yoshimochi, Japanese shogun (b. 1386) *1451 - Murad II, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1404) *1468 - Johannes Gutenberg, German publisher *1566 - George Cassander, Flemish theologian (b. 1513) *1619 - Henry Brooke, English conspirator (b. 1564) *1737 - Tommaso Ceva, Italian Mathematician (b. 1648) *1802 - Pedro Rodríguez, Spanish statesman (b. 1723) *1862 - Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist (b. 1774) *1866 - François-Xavier Garneau, French Canadian poet and historian (b. 1809) *1874 - Lunalilo, Hawaiian monarch (b. 1835) *1889 - Belle Starr, American outlaw (b. 1848) *1922 - John Butler Yeats, Northern Irish artist (b. 1839) *1924 - Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, Nobel laureate (b. 1856) *1929 - Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish scientist (b. 1878) *1935 - Hugo Junkers, German engineer (b. 1859) *1936 - Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg, consort of William of Wied, Prince of Albania (b.1885) *1945 - Roland Freisler, Nazi leader (b. 1893) *1947 - Marc Mitscher, American Navy Admiral (b. 1887) *1956 - Émile Borel, French mathematician (b. 1871) * 1956 - Johnny Claes, Belgian racing driver (b. 1916) *1959 - Also known as The Day the Music Died because of the deaths of: **Buddy Holly, American singer (b. 1936) **Ritchie Valens, American singer (b. 1941) **J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, American singer (b. 1930) *1960 - Fred Buscaglione, Italian singer and actor (b. 1921) *1964 - Sir Albert Richardson, English architect (b. 1880) *1967 - Joe Meek, English record producer (b. 1929) *1969 - Eduardo Mondlane Mozambique independence founder (b. 1920) *1975 - Umm Kulthum, Egyptian singer (b. 1904) *1985 - Frank Oppenheimer, American physicist (b. 1912) *1989 - John Cassavetes, American actor (b. 1929) * 1989 - Lionel Newman, American movie music orchestra leader, composer and arranger (b. 1916) *1991 - Harry Ackerman, American TV executive producer (b. 1912) * 1991 - Nancy Kulp, American actress (b. 1921) *1993 - Paul Emery, British racing driver (b. 1916) *1996 - Audrey Meadows, American actress (b. 1926) *1998 - Karla Faye Tucker, American murderer (b. 1959) *2000 - Richard Kleindienst, American politician (b. 1923) *2003 - Lana Clarkson, American actress (b. 1962) *2004 - Jason Raize, American musical theatre actor (b. 1975) *2005 - Corrado Cardinal Bafile, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1903) * 2005 - Ernst Mayr, German-born biologist (b. 1904) * 2005 - Zurab Zhvania, Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1963) *2006 - Al Lewis, American actor (b. 1923) *2007 - Pedro Knight, Cuban-American musician, husband of legendary singer Celia Cruz (b. 1921) * 2007 - Ralph de Toledano, Moroccan-born American political columnist and author (b. 1916) * 2007 - George Becker, American president of United Steelworkers (1993–2001) (b. 1928) Holidays and observances * Japan - the festival of Setsubun before spring. * Mozambique - Heroes' Day. * United States - Four Chaplains Day. * United States - the earliest calendar day that Mardi Gras can occur. liturgical feasts * Saint Blaise, Catholics visit churches to have their throats blessed. * Aaron the Illustrious, saint of the Syriac Orthodox Church*Holweck, F. G. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saint. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924. * Saint Ansgar, patron saint of Denmark * Saint Hadelin * Saint Werburgh * Saint Berlindis * Saint Nona and Saint Celsa ** February 3 References External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- February 03